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2019 Monaco F1 GP

The Fairmont Hairpin:- One of the tightest chicane in the series

We head back to the glitzy principality of Monaco. This has been one of the successful hunting grounds of the Redbull team in recent years. At the beginning of the season, many believed that if Honda were to win a race with the Redbull chassis this season, Monaco was the most likely venue for such a feat.

However, there has been good indications that the Redbull may not have things their way this time round. Unfortunately for Redbull, the Mercedes W10 has shown, at all races this year, that its chassis has attained the aerodynamic quality of going through slow speed corners and chicanes with typical Redbull efficiency. The highly underestimated W10 is just as fast, if not faster than the Redbull at going through corners. The cumbersome long wheelbase that bogged the previous incarnations of this car has given way to well trimmed and muscular car. Which has proven to be equally as capable on the straights as it is in the corners.

By all indications, Mercedes is looking like the car to beat at this weekends Monaco GP. It is an all round better car than the twitchy Redbull. Better front and rear stability, faster engine and more superior aerodynamics package than the Redbull. Ferrari seem to be out of the running for a place at the front of the grid. The Ferrari has been cumbersome through the corners losing all of its performance superiority at the corners to the more efficient Mercedes and Redbull cars. A fairytale home track win for Leclerc seem very difficult and possibly unlikely. But anything is possible on the unforgiving AMCO lined track that is Monaco.

Somehow, Verstapenn has managed to drive around the problems of the Redbull. Hence, it is likely that the Mercedes might not have it entirely their own way. But the weekend is looking like a new page in the Hamilton and Bottas battle for the lead of the championship. Can Hamilton stretch out the lead to Bottas or can Bottas once again level the points.

Yeah the car looks mighty and, more concerning for their rivals is that there is still laptime there - a couple of corners there Hamilton left time on the table. What a car they have produced this season. The question me isnít if Mercedes will win the constructors, itís which Mercedes driver will be champion this year. The others are too far behind. Itíll be 2021 now before anyone catches Mercedes.

Vettel crashes again in Monaco FP3. Thank God he is not a 5 time WDC. Itís bad enough that he is out there making mistakes week after week with 4 WDCís to his name. Him as a 5 time WDC performing at this level would be embarrassing to the sport to the point of nearly intolerable.

There was a time I rated him as a top driver but now I think Ferrari should drop him. He is making more mistakes than Albon, Norris amd Russel combined. It might be the one lifeline to Ricciardoís career. Ferrari drop Vettel and Ricciardo moves to Ferrari- I can potentially see that happening now.